Hey bass players! Budget bass rig advice needed

[Bob Zaod]

I have been hired to do sound and lights for a Tribute Band Network and 2023 is looking to be pretty busy. One of the things I offer is the ability to backline a 5 piece band EXCEPT I don't have a bass rig. I have pretty much all bases covered on everything else. Don't laugh (times are a bit tough right now) but my bass rig budget is about 500 bucks. 90% or so of the Tribute Bands I will be supplying backline and sound/lights for are Old School Metal Tributes.

So I ask you...

Can I put together a usable bass rig for 500 bucks or less? I really don't want to finance anything. I want to buy a decent bass rig set up straight up used. Should I go for something like a 2x10 combo? Or is say a cheapy 4x10 cab with a 300+ watt head doable? Help me out here. I have an old 600w Peavey PA head that sounds pretty good for bass but it looks nasty and dumb.

 

[metropolis_4]

It's heavy, but in that price range this is a great sounding option: https://reverb.com/item/62462419-peavey-tnt115-600-w-bass-combo-amp

It's versatile and dependable and can be found for around $300 used.

 

[Bob Zaod]

It's heavy, but in that price range this is a great sounding option: https://reverb.com/item/62462419-peavey-tnt115-600-w-bass-combo-amp

It's versatile and dependable and can be found for around $300 used.

Nice thanks for the suggestion. I am hoping to get away with a combo for backline.

 

[MadAsAHatter]

Two that come to mind are SWR Workingman and Hartke HA (3500, 5000, etc.) They're older amps but were pretty much backline staples for a long time. The SWR came in both head and several combo versions. The Hartke was mostly heads but I think they did have a 410 combo. You should be able to put something sufficient together for $500 with one of those.

 

[DrewJD82]

You know what REALLY blew my mind? The Fender Rumble stuff. One of my employees wanted to learn how to play bass, I had a mini-bass kicking around I gave him and picked out a Rumble for him; I think it was an 8" speaker inside of it, maybe 10", but I figured it was going to be fairly quiet so when it showed up at my apartment, I cranked it up with my Spector, hit the low C and almost fell over. And it actually sounds good! The volume and actual bass coming out of that thing blew my mind.

If I needed something quick and cheap, I'd absolutely go in that direction unless something used from Ampeg showed up locally.

 

[Bob Zaod]

You know what REALLY blew my mind? The Fender Rumble stuff. One of my employees wanted to learn how to play bass, I had a mini-bass kicking around I gave him and picked out a Rumble for him; I think it was an 8" speaker inside of it, maybe 10", but I figured it was going to be fairly quiet so when it showed up at my apartment, I cranked it up with my Spector, hit the low C and almost fell over. And it actually sounds good! The volume and actual bass coming out of that thing blew my mind.

If I needed something quick and cheap, I'd absolutely go in that direction unless something used from Ampeg showed up locally.

I have been looking at some of those. Had a bass player in the band not long ago that used one and it sounded great.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I have been looking at some of those. Had a bass player in the band not long ago that used one and it sounded great.

In my old Funk band the bassist bought a new Rumble combo and it kicked ass. Another bassist in another band I played in bought one right when the newer ones came out and it always delivered

 

[Lopp]

Two that come to mind are SWR Workingman and Hartke HA (3500, 5000, etc.) They're older amps but were pretty much backline staples for a long time. The SWR came in both head and several combo versions. The Hartke was mostly heads but I think they did have a 410 combo. You should be able to put something sufficient together for $500 with one of those.

I'd try the others before considering the SWR Workingman's amps. At least based on owning a Workingman's 15 and not being thrilled with it.

It would not provide an ideal tone for, and at 200W would likely struggle to keep up with, old school metal type stuff @Bob Zaod is looking for.

 

[Will Onyx]

I know lots of people like the Fender Rumbles, but they always sound kind of thuddy and vintage sounding to me. They’d be a ringer to play some vintage country on. A lot of the metal bass sounds have some high end clank in them that need more of a modern sound to get. Gotta suggest looking into a used GK if there is one available to you. Just another option….. but then again GK is my bass solution for everything!